Gus Poyet Favourite to Fill Vacant Sunderland Managerial Post

Former Brighton and Hove Albion head coach Gustavo Poyet will need to personally convince Sunderland owner Ellis Short of his credentials to take over from recently departed Blacks Cats boss Paolo Di Canio before he is given the vacant managerial job at the Stadium of Light, according to reports in the Daily Mirror.

The one-time Uruguay international has been installed by the bookmakers as the red-hot favourite to succeed the fiery Italian in the north west, however, the club’s American owner is understood to be in no great rush to name a new trainer as the American knows he has to get this next appointment absolutely right, otherwise the club will be relegated from the Premier League.

Short has already had to sack two managers during his time in charge of the club, with both Martin O’Neill and Di Canio having been given their marching orders, and with Sunderland currently propping up the top-flight table having failed to win a single league match so far this season, things are looking very bleak indeed for the Black Cats.

And that is why the billionaire businessman knows he cannot make any mistakes with this next appointment, with caretaker boss Kevin Ball likely to remain in charge of team affairs for the visit of Liverpool on Sunday.

Poyet, though, is waiting in the wings to be given the green light to start work in the north east, with the ex-Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea midfield player saying on Wednesday: “My opportunity to manage Sunderland is there. I’m waiting. Nervously.

“Since the start of the season, I’ve dedicated myself to watching the games of teams that might call me if things weren’t going too well.”